Hi everyone,
I have a 5-month-old Old German Shepherd puppy. At home, everything is fine. And on walks, things go well too... until we run into other dogs! When that happens, he starts barking, jumping, and pulling like mad on the long lead. And at 5 months, he's already starting to get quite strong! It’s not aggressive behaviour; he’s been properly socialised. We took him to puppy classes, he’s met a few dogs in the family, gone on group walks, and it’s always gone really well. Basically, he just desperately wants to go and say hello to the dogs we pass and have a play.
Since that obviously isn't always possible, I’m looking to correct this behaviour. I’ve tried offering him treats and toys to distract him, but it doesn’t work at all. Even if I shout, he doesn't care; nothing else exists except the other dog.
I spoke about it at puppy class and had a session with a dog behaviourist. I’ve ended up with two techniques to make him understand his bad behaviour and redirect his attention to us:
- A water spray with a few drops of citronella oil
- A plastic bottle filled with stones to shake behind him
And obviously, I'm to praise him as soon as there’s any improvement and he isn’t pushing too hard to go see the other dog.
I wanted to know what you think. On one hand, these techniques don’t sit right with me because I don’t want to subject him to unpleasant things, but I’m also worried about the judgement of other dog owners we might pass. On the other hand, I’m really starting to struggle to hold him, and passing other dogs on walks is becoming a real source of stress for me.
Also, if you’ve dealt with the same issue, how did you solve it?
Thanks in advance for your replies!
